Apparatus for treating oils.



H. SCHLCSSSTEIN.

APPARATUS FOR TREATING OILS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 21. I918.

1 ,96,01 3.. Patented Mar. 4, 1919.

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w l m/ewwr J15; 50/? L06 152* W f h 1 HANS SCHLQSSSTEIN/OF GHICAG-O, ILLIN 018.

Specification of Letters Patent.

.WJ'S FOR TREATING OILS.

Patented Mar. a, rare.

Application filed January 21, 1918. Serial No. 212,902.

To all whom it may concern: Be-it known that I, HANS SoHLosssTn'IN, a subject of the Emperor of Germany, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Treating Oils; and I. do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which fornr a part of this specification.

This invention relates to a novel apparatus for deodorizing or for hardening oils, -or both, and refers more particularly to improvements in such apparatus designed to promote the intermingling ed with the gas, steam or other agent by which it is treated. The invention also relates to a combined oil deodorizing and oil hardening apparatus so arranged that oil may be first treated therein to deodorize it and subsequently, without removing it from the kettle, be treated for hardening the deodorized oil, thereby conserving heat, avoiding waste of oil, and effecting a saving of time in handling the oil.

The invention consists in the combination and arrangement of the parts shown in the drawing and described in the specification and is pointed out in the appended claims.

The figure of the drawing is an axial ver tical section of an apparatus embodying my invention.

The apparatus embraces a reservoir or kettle 10, having an intake pipe 11 and a normally closed outlet or draw-off branch 12. The reservoir is jacketed and steam and water may be admitted to the jacket through the respective pipes 14 and 15, and maybe drawn off therefrom through the respective pipes 16 and 17. The bottom of the reservoir is tapered toward the outlet 12 and the top of the reservoir is likewise tapered toward a restricted central top opening that is surrounded by a neck 10. V

Rising from said reservoir is ajacketed shell 18, the jacket of which is equipped with suitable steam and water supply pipe 1920, respectively, and steam and water draw-off pipes 21,22, respectively. Said shell is shown as flanged at its base and is bolted to an external flange 24 at thelupper end of the neck 10.

of oil being treat- Within the jacketed 10 is shorter.

'shell 25. It is arranged centrally within the shell 18 and is fixed at its lower end to an internal flange 26 within the neck 10. The annular space 27 between the inner and outer shells is interrupted by bafile flanges 28, some springing from one shell and the others from the other shell. The upper end troduced into the oil through a perforated ring 35 within the lower portion of the. reservoiryand the treating agent is directed to said ring through a supply pipe which is equipped with two valved branches, 36 and A second spray ring 38 is arranged Within the lower part of the space 27 between said shells and is equipped with a pipe having two branches 39 and 40.

Within the reservoir, and near its bottom, is a suitable pump 41. As shown, it is a centrifugalpump and is adapted to be submergedin the oil insaid reservoir. The pump is supported on a frame or bracket 42, shown as made integral with the fitting in which is formed the outlet 12. The eduction pipe 43 of said pump leads to the lower end of the space'27 between the shells 18 and 25, said eduction pipe opening through the internal flange 26.

Arranged centrally, within the inner shell 25, is an operating or power shaft 45 for the pump 41. Said shaft is supported on a bearing 46 at the base of the inner shell and extends through a bearing 47 formed in the head 31 of the outer shell; said hearing being equipped with a suitable stuffing box. The shaft 45 is shown as connected to the rotor shaftlof the pump by a link -18.

Said shaft is provided Within the inner I shell 25 with a series of vertically spaced oil diffusing and spraying disks 50. They are made of slightly less diameter than that of the bore of the shell so as to leave passages between them and the inner shell for the flow of oil and the treating agent. The disks are also perforated to permit the oil to pass therethrough in the form of small drops. The shaft is further provided within the reservoir above the oil level with a diffusing disk 52, the upper face of which is preferably tapered downwardly and out- 'wardly.

Mounted in said shaft 45 near the top of the outer shell is a conical deflector 55 Y which cooperates with a fixed, centrally apertured conical partition 56 that is supported in any suitable manner above and spaced from the said deflector 55.

The operation of the apparatus for deodorizing oil is as follows:

The kettle of reservoir 10 is charged through the inlet opening 11 to about the depth indicated in broken lines in the drawing. The valved eduction pipe 33 is opened and the valve of the branch 34 is closed. Said pipe 33 is connected to a condenser which operates under a suitable negative pressure to produce a negative pressure condition within the apparatus. Pipe 36 is .connected with a deodorizing agent, such,

v thereto through the shaft 45, and the oil within which the pump is submerged is conducted-through the pipe 43 to the space 27 j between the inner and outer shells. At the same time, a deodorizing agent, as super-V heated steam, is admitted through the pipe 39 to the perforated ring 38 and to said space 27, the valve of the branch pipe 40 being closed. The pressure exerted by the pump isv such as to lift the oil to the top of the inner shell 25, and during the passage of the oil from the lower end to the upper end of the space 27 the rising body of oil is broken up by the battle flanges 28 so as to effect an intermixture of the steam with the oil." The oil charged with a portion of the steam, flows over the inwardly turned lip 30 at the top of the inner shell 25 into said shell and upon the disks 50, which are rap idly rotating. The centrifu alaction of said disks causes a portion 0 the oil to be thown outwardly against the inner Wall of said shell 25 and to flow down therealong. Other portions of the oil passthrough the perforations of the disks in small drops.

The descending films and drops of oil are met by the ascending stream of the deodorizing agent, as the superheated steam, which is.

forced upwardly through the body of the oil by reason of its pressure, and also by reason of the negative pressure induced through the pipe 33. The counter currents or streams of descending oil and ascending steam hasthe effect to bring the steam and oil into intimate contact with each other; and this intimate contact is promoted or increased by reason of the breakmg up or division of the oil into drops, due to the passage thereof through the perforations of the disks 50. The superheated steam and a portion of the eduction pipe 33. The lighter portions of the oil, to be removed in the leodorizing process, are, however, gradually carried through the space between the depending annular portion of the reflector and the wall of the outer shell and through the space between said deflector and the apertured partition 56; and thence outwardly through the eduction pipe 33. The pump 41 maintains a continuous circulation of the oil upwardly through the space 27 and downwardly through the inner shell 25, in

falling through which the oil meets the counter current of the deodorizing agent.

During the time "that the deodorizing agent, as superheated steam, is being forced upwardly through the oil, and while thecirculation of the oil is being maintained through the apparatus, a heating agent, as steam, is passed through the reservoir jacket by way of the pipes 14: and 16 and through the jacket of theshelllS, by way of the pipes 19 and 20, so as to maintain the walls of said reservoir and shell heated and thereby maintain the proper temperature of the oil while being treated. This process is continued until the oil is properly deodorized, whereupon the valve of the pipe 36 is closed to shut of]? the supply of the deodorizing agent. Thereafter, cooling fluid is circulated through the reservoir jacket by .way of the pipes 15 and 17 and through the jacket of the shell 18 by way of the'pipes 24 and 21 until the oil is reduced to a proper temperature, either for removing it from the apparatus or for further treating the oil for other purposes.

The apparatus is so designed that the oil maybe treated to harden the same without removing it from the'reservoir and by em-' ployin similar cycles of circulation of the oil an a proper hardening agent such as' hydrogen. VVhen'theoil is to be so hardened in the same apparatus, the valves of the pipes 36 and 39 for the deodorizing agent are closed and the valvesof the pipes 37 and 40 are opened. The saidpipes 37 and 40 are adapted to be connected to a suitable supply of a gaseous-hardening agent, as hydrogen under pressure, said gas to be forced upwardly through the body of oil in the resfrom the perforated ring 35 and through the annular space 47 from the perervoir forated ring 38. The valve of the eduction pipe 33 is also-closed and the valve of the 34 is opened. Said latter branch is adapted to be connected to a suitable recep-' branch the oil. In practice,,I may employ as the catalytic agent a small quantity of nickel and may employ hydrogen as the gaseous agent for effecting the hardening of the oil. The catalytic agent may be introduced into the system through the pipe 11. During the hardening process, the apparatus may bemaintained at the proper temperature by the circulation of a heating fluid through the jackets of the reservoir and outer shell,

and after the hardening process has been completed the apparatus is cooled by the "understood that the circulation of a cooling fluid through said jackets.

After the process of either deodorizing or hardening the oil is completed, the charge of oil is drawn oil through outlet 12, it being said outlet is connected witha suit-able valved pipe which is normally closed.

An important advantage ofthe construction descri ed is the large area of contact of the oil with the treating agent, this contact being eifected both by reason of bringing the treating agent against the films of streams of oil which flows up along the outer wall of the inner shell, and broken up by the bafHe elements 28, and flows in the form of a thin film down the wall of the inner shell, and the contact is promoted by reason of the subdivision of the oil due to the passage thereof through the perforations of the disks 50. Bythus treating the oil in both upward and downward flow of the circuit of its travel and breaking up streams of flow in both parts of the circuit, the treating of the oil may be hastened, and the capacity of a given plant equipped with my improvements lncreased. Furthermore, this construction decreases the overall length of the apparatus, the oil being under treatment in all parts of its c1rcu1t. Further, the quality of the product isimproved, as it is possible to apply a special range of temperatures and pressures especially favorable to the treatment of the oil.

Another advantage of the construction described lies in the dual capacity of the apparatus to deodorize and harden a batch of oil without removing it from the apparatus,

thus resulting in the saving of heat and also of time in handling the quent waste. A further advantage lies in the fact that the oil cannot be transferred from one apparatus to another without appreciable deterioration of the oil with re oil and the consemeans to spray the oil through a part of the circuit 1n which it is subjected to a counter directed stream of treating agent.

2. Apparatus for treating oil comprising means for circulating oil in a defined closed circuit, with means to force streams of a treating agent through the oil in both parts of said circuit, and means to spray the oil through a part of the circuit in which it is subjected to a counter directed stream of treating-agent, combined with means to present a film contact of the oil to said treating agent.

3. Apparatus for treating oil comprising means for circulating oil in a closed circuit, with means to force a counter directed stream of treating agent through the oil in one part of said circuit, means to spray the oil through that part of the circuit in which it is subjected to the counter directed stream of treating agent, and means to force a stream of treating agent through said circuit in the part of said circuit which travels in the same direction as said stream of'treat-' a reservoir, inner and outer shells rising therefrom and spaced to prbduce between them an annular passage, with the inner shell in communication with said reservoir, means to efi'ect a circulation of oil upwardly through said annular passage and downwardly through the inner shell, means to force a treating agent upwardlyv through said inner shell counterwise to the downflow of oil therethrough, and means to effect a spraying subdivision of the oil in drops in said inner shell.

5. Apparatus for treating oil comprising a reservoir, inner and outer shells rising therefrom and spaced to produce between them an annular passage, with the inner shell in communication with said reservoir, means to eflect a circulation of oil upwardly through said annular passage and downwardly through the inner shell, means to force a treating agent upwardly through said inner shell counterwise to the downflow of oil therethrough, and means to efiect a s raying subdivision of the oil in drops in sald inner shell, with means to spread a downwardly flowing film of oil on the wall of said inner shell in contact with which the treating agent rises.

6. Apparatus for treating oil, comprising a reservoir, inner and outer shells rising therefrom and spaced to produce between them an "annular passage, with the inner shell in communication with said reservoir, a pump for forcing the oil upwardly through said annular passage and downv wardly through said inner shell, a rotative operating shaft for said pump extending through vsaid inner shell, perforated disks on said shaft and turning therewith, and

vmeans to force a treating agent upward through said inner shell.

7 Apparatus for treating oil, comprising a reservoir, inner and outer shells rising force a treating agent upward through said inner shell, together with means to force a treating agent upwardly through said annular passage.

8. Apparatus for treating oil, comprising a reservoir, inner and outer shells rising therefrom and spaced to produce between them an annular passage, with the inner shell in communicatlon with said reservoir,

means to effect a circulation of oil u wardly through said annular passage an downwardly through the inner shell, an operating shaft for said circulating means extending signature at through said inner shell, perforated disks on said shafts and turning therewith, and a difi'using' disk on said shaft within said reservoir and above the oil level therein.

9. Apparatus for deodorizing and hardening oils, comprising a receptacle with means to effect the circulation of oil in a closed circuit through the apparatus, and separate means to force a deodorizing agent or a hardening agent through the oil in both sides of the circuit to separately deodorize and harden the oil.

10. Apparatus for treating oil to deodorize and harden the same, comprising a reservoir, inner and outer shells rising therefrom and spaced to produce between them an annular passage, with the .inner shell in communication with said reservoir, means for effecting a circulation of oil upwardly through the annular passage and downwardly through the shell, a perforated pipe within the reservoir adapted to be submerged by the oil, and a perforated pipe at the bottom of said annular space, each of said perforated pipes being connected to branched valve pipes whereby treating agents of different characters maybe separately delivered to said perforated rings.

In testimony 'whereof I claim the foregoing as my invention, I hereunto append my Chicago, Illinois, this 14th day of January, 1918.

HANS SCHLOSSSTEIN. ,Witnesses: a

W. L. HALL, MARGARET D. Ross. 

